Viki Rajani

Good production values – This is what strikes one immediately when a film comes from the house of producer Viki Rajani. He may be a relatively new entrant in the world of Bollywood and may have made mid-budget films so far. However the way his films are pitched, the production design, promotion in general and an overall look and feel has always been slick; case in point being Aa Dekhen Zara, Table No. 21 and now 3G.

The promo of ’3G’ has made quite a few heads turn. That must have been heartening for you, isn’t it?
Yes, there is good anticipation for the film. Something like 3G hasn’t come before. It has a new approach towards horror. It is going to be very different.

On a lighter note Viki, most of the makers say that. How have you done that in ’3G’?
For starters, there are no mansions or ‘kothis’ where you see a ‘bhatakti aatma’ emerging out of nowhere and scaring the hell out of people there. Instead, horror here is triggered by a video call in a 3G network. Tell me, have you seen that anywhere? Is that different enough? (Smiles)

Yes indeed. Guess you have playing a different game, and in the process raking risks as well, film after film.
That has been the endeavour. I still feel disappointed by the fact that Aa Dekhen Zara, despite being well made and appreciated, couldn’t get a proper release due to the multiplex issue back then. It was supposed to release in 600 screens and ultimately came out in only 200 cinemas. We still got a good weekend. Now Table No. 21 has been appreciated and loved by everybody. Honestly, I didn’t expect it to be loved so much. It is heartening that the message was conveyed well. The risk paid.

Your partners stay on to be Eros in each and every film. Guess you are getting a free hand in making films the way you want.
Yes, with them the understanding has been to make high concept films which are commercially feasible as well. The idea for our team has been to position our movies differently in the market. Through the films that we make, we are looking at a different segment of audience. As for a much huger chunk of masses, there is ‘Rambo Rajkumar‘ on the way!

The Rajeev Khandelwal, Tena Desae and Paresh Rawal starrer, that released on 4th January, made a decent business of about 9.50 Crores in its 1st Week and after a 2 week long run, 2013′s first release Table No.21 now stands at 11.50 Crores total at the Domestic Box Office.

Rajeev Khandelwal and Tena Desae in a still from Table No. 21 Movie

Table No. 21 Box Office Report Till Date:

Opening Week:  9.50 Crores

Second Week: 2 Crores

Total: 11.50 Crores

MKS tweets @mksmukulsharma

The film was fighting quite a few battles though. India-Pakistan match, cold wave up North and continued run of Dabangg 2 meant that it had to brush past quite a few challenges. On the positive side it did get a very wide release and its immediate competition i.e. the three films that released alongside, were complete non-starters on the paper itself. As a result, the eventual outcome of this Rajeev Khandelwal-Tena Desae-Paresh Rawal film can be termed as fair. Yes, given the content it deserved to find an even larger audience but then it is very rare for a film to collect more when the starcast is relatively new.

Rajeev Khandelwal and Tena Desae in a still from Table No. 21 Movie

This week there is competition from Matru Ki Bijlee Ma Mandola which would be occupying a large number of screens. However Table No. 21 can hope to find certain segment of audience still stepping in for it. A coverage affair, it would still march its way out of theatres with it’s head high as it has managed to break the New Year release jinx yet again after No One Killed Jessica.

Thank goodness for that because if it would have waited for another day and the only new releases would have been the likes of Rajdhani Express, Meri Shadi Karao and Dehraadun Diary, the blame game would again have been played around the New Year angle instead of the sheer content being questioned.

Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder

“Table No. 21 is the second example after Kahaani where the filmmakers released the film and it ran on word-of-mouth publicity and also did good business. I feel it’s a great example to all those producers who don’t have enough confidence to release such kind of films on a bigger scale. So, I am very happy and the film will motivate such filmmakers and producers,” he said.

Check out the video right here:

Rajeev Khandelwal

Directed by Aditya Datt, Table No. 21 also stars Tena Desae and Paresh Rawal and it has done a decent business at the box office.

Table No. 21 Movie Poster

One cannot term these collections as fabulous numbers but considering the star cast and production cost of the movie, one can surely look upon it as respectable numbers. The real challenge will come up this week, with the release of Imran Khan, Anushka Sharma, and Pankaj Kapur starrer Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola.

Let’s see how Table No. 21 fares post Friday.

MKS tweets @mksmukulsharma

Rajeev Khandelwal

Actor Rajeev Khandelwal believes that audiences have always wanted to see different kind of films but a certain perception has hampered subject-driven movies from reaching movie buffs.

“Generally, people say that content-driven films that have strong scripts do not work and neglect them as off-beat films,” the 37-year-old said here in a group interview.

He says that he had two such films Aamir and Shaitan in his career that did work.

“But people say that public does not want to see such films and so release them on a small scale. But I have always felt that audience always want to see such films but we never tried to give it to them,” he added.

“Kahaani was also such a movie and was released on a bigger scale. Table No. 21 is the second example after Kahaani where the filmmakers released the film and it ran on word-of-mouth publicity and also did good business,” he added.

Directed by Aditya Datt, Table No. 21 also stars Tena Desae and Paresh Rawal and it has done a decent business at the box office.

Rajeev believes that Table No. 21 success will motivate filmmakers to have a bigger release of such films.

“I feel it’s a great example to all those producers who don’t have enough confidence to release such kind of films on a bigger scale. So, I am very happy and the film will motivate such filmmakers and producers,” he said.

Rajeev Khandelwal, Paresh Rawal and Tena Desae in a still from Table No. 21 Movie

The movie was never expected to be a major box office grosser, however, it has managed to beat other movies which released with it at the box office. Meanwhile, Dabangg 2 is still continuing to do decent business at the box office seeming unaffected by any of the new releases.

MKS tweets @mksmukulsharma

Rajeev Khandelwal and Tena Desae in a still from Table No. 21 Movie

It seems the lack of face value was one of the primary reasons for the movie’s staying steady at lower levels in its 1st weekend and now on its 1st Monday. The next few days will be crucial to determine the box office fate of Table No. 21. If the movie manages to pull through the 1st week steadily, it will surely have some numbers to talk about at the charts.

MKS tweets @mksmukulsharma

Table No. 21 Poster

As predicted, it was only Table No. 21 that managed to show some footfalls in theatres over the weekend gone by. The film was way ahead of other releases like Rajdhani Express, Dehraadun Diary and Meri Shadi Karao which turned out to be complete disasters on the very opening day of arrival.

Let’s begin with Table No. 21 first. As was indicated in the promos, the film was expected to be a stylised entertainer and this is how it turned out to be. The opening too was pretty much on the lower side, something that wasn’t surprising considering the fact that it had arrived with nominal promotion. Also, it didn’t carry a kind of star quotient to it that would have given it further impetus from the very opening show. This was always going to be a word of mouth affair and that’s exactly the way box office behaved as shows progressed.

With close to 6 crores coming in the weekend, the film’s outcome is on the same lines as Blood Money which released in March last year. The Kunal Khemu starrer was a mid-budget affair and after seeing a low opening (30%-40%) for itself, it had managed to stay reasonably steady. Ditto for this Rajeev Khandelwal, Tena Desae and Paresh Rawal affair which is expected to hold fort right through its first week and reach a respectable score.

Though critically this Aditya Datt film hasn’t been panned, overall reviews are mixed while ranging from average to good to very good. With audience having one only film as a new choice and Dabangg 2 being it’s only (though major) competition, Table No. 21 can hope take it’s chances.

Same can’t be said about the other three films, the combined business of which struggled to reach the 1 crore mark. While Rajdhani Express turned out to be a terrible outing with one of the most insipid star debut (Leander Paes) ever, another debut of the week, that of Gurdeep Mehndi with Meri Shadi Karao, went completely unnoticed as it got a very poor release. Same was the case with Dehraadun Diary that wasn’t even reviewed by most, hence seeing a royal ignore for itself.

Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder

Rajeev Khandelwal, Tena Desae, Paresh Rawal (Table No. 21 Movie Poster Wallpaper)

Dabangg 2 kept performing well and one can say offering a somewhat sombre competition to the new releases. Though Table No. 21 performed way better than the other releases this week, i.e.  Rajdhani Express and Dehraadun Diary, the movie needs to do way better to register its name on the charts. Let’s see if Sunday’s numbers show a positive trend and help in a decent 1st weekend collection for Table No. 21.

MKS tweets @mksmukulsharma

Tena Desae And Rajeev Khandelwal Table No. 21 Movie Stills

The fact remains that Dabangg 2 in its 3rd week scored better than Table No. 21 did on its opening day. The movie will need to show some huge turnaround during Saturday and Sunday if it wants to put up some decent numbers on the charts and not get lost in oblivion.

The other releases this week, i.e. Rajdhani Express and Dehraadun Diary failed to woo any audiences or critics and thus couldn’t score at the box office.

MKS tweets @mksmukulsharma

Table No. 21 Movie Poster

Rating: 1/5 stars (One star)

Star cast: Rajeev Khandelwal, Tena Desae, Paresh Rawal, Hanif Hilal, Dhruv Ganesh.

What’s Good: Rajeev Khandelwal and Paresh Rawal’s performances; a couple of bikini scenes.

What’s Bad: The lame ‘dares’; the insipid climax; the predictable storyline; the frustrating wrong timings of the songs…

Loo break: Anytime. Might as well not come back.

Watch or Not?: Not really. This disastrous flick will not entertain you at all.

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“If you lie, you die… you die.” Cheesy as it may sound, there are some really good flicks made on that clichéd line (I haven’t repeated the “you die” for effect, it’s verbatim from the movie) with the brilliant Phone Booth being the most memorable. However, Table No. 21 tries hard to be a psychological thriller but ends up being a me-too, and then ruins things further with a social message type ending.

Vivaan (Rajeev Khandelwal) and Siya Agasthi (Tena Desae) have just won a free trip to Fiji. It’s a timely getaway for the couple who are not only in a rough patch due to Vivaan being out of a job, but also because it’s their wedding anniversary. Between the clink of glasses, a certain Mr. Khan (Paresh Rawal) makes them a mouth-watering offer. What lies between them and Rs. 21 crores are just 8 questions and answers. The catch? They have to answer all the questions truthfully and complete their dares.

Unable to resist, Vivaan and Siya sign on the dotted line and the game begins. Before millions of online viewers, Vivaan and Siya answer personal questions about each other and do things that they never imagined they would. While it starts off with something as simple as kissing in the middle of a crowded street, the tasks get more absurd and dangerous at the proceeding levels. When they try to escape, they are informed that the lie-detectors on their wrists will detonate if they go beyond a certain distance.

While Vivaan and Siya think they know everything about each other, the game shows them otherwise. How long does this sinister game continue? What is the real reason behind the questions? Will they win?

The rest of the movie reveals the answers.

Rajeev Khandelwal, Tena Desae, Paresh Rawal (Table No. 21 Movie Poster Wallpaper)

Table No. 21 Review: Script Analysis

Sheershak Anand, Abhijeet Deshpande and Shantanu Ray Chhibber try an innovative game-show technique with Table No. 21 but it falls flat. Right from the start, the game looks nothing like a show with “millions of online viewers”, even though Mr. Khan reiterates it half a dozen times (considering that we are likely to forget those 5 words because of boredom). The tasks and questions that follow are so lame that even a local TV show would not use it, let alone an international show with a prize money of millions. The dares are a bit inspired from movies like Saw 5, but it’s nowhere near as gruesome.

The characterizations are badly done. Vivaan and Siya are supposed to be college sweethearts very much in love with each other. Yet Siya only screams “nonsense” when the task includes having her hair shaved off, not when her husband has to spurt out 500ml of his blood for the earlier dare. After the interval, the dares become predictable and boring. You can see the finish line, and you want the darn film to just get there. And when it does, it’s not a pretty sight.

Abhijeet Deshpande’s dialogues are ordinary, though he tries to spice things up with poetic couplets.

Table No. 21 Review: Star Performances

Can someone give Rajeev Khandelwal a good film already? It’s a shame to see a talented actor like him having to do sorry roles like these. He does really well in the movie as Vivaan. Tena Desae gets to mostly huff-and-puff, and show off lots of skin, but she’s good as Siya. Paresh Rawal is wasted as the mysterious Mr. Khan, and even has to sport an unsightly arc of hair on his head throughout the movie. All the characters suffer because of bad writing with none of them ever living to their full potential.

Hanif Hilal does not get a single line in the film, but his acting is good. Dhruv Ganesh is also fine.

Table No. 21 Review: Direction, Music & Editing

Aditya Datt does a mediocre job with a disappointing script. The characters have been handled badly and there’s not much to look further to at any point in the movie. Strapping a Steady Camera on to the protagonist has become a trend of sorts now-a-days and this movie shows why it’s utterly unnecessary to do so. Amar Mohile’s background score is alright. The two songs – by Gajendra Verma and Sachin Gupta – are perfect in their wrong timings. Ravi Walia’s cinematography is very ordinary.

Table No. 21 Review: The Last Word

Table No. 21 is a shameful waste of some really good actors where the makers sleepwalked through the entire film. Best to avoid this one.

Table No. 21 Trailer

Table No. 21 released on 4th January, 2013.

Share with us your experience of watching Table No. 21.

Paresh Rawal In Table No. 21 Movie Stills

“Yes, Pareshji’s character is the key in the film. Of course the film revolves around him, Rajeev Khandelwal and Tena Desae but it is Paresh’s character and persona which drives the whole affair. Many people come and say that we have a star amidst us after ‘OMG Oh My God!‘. Well, we had started shooting much before OMG had even released so I guess we are lucky that the timing has been so good. OMG has done 100 crores worldwide so it works very well. If Paresh is with us in ‘Table No. 21′ then it is a very lucky coincidence”, gushes Aditya.

He is happy that from the genre perspective, there is absolutely nothing common between ‘Table No. 21‘ and ‘OMG Oh My God‘.

“Yes, that’s true”, says Aditya, “We are not giving audience something that they have already seen. They would be something new unfolding on screen. Even Pareshji is very conscious about that. This is the reason why when he read the first draft, he was kicked at the idea stage itself. He wanted me to bring to him the complete script and after I asked him for some more time, I don’t know how many drafts I would have written before we came on the same page.”

Well Aditya, now here is hoping the effort indeed pays off once the film hits the screens all over this Friday.

Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder

Rajeev Khandelwal

From the dashing television hunk to the unconventionally crafty Bollywood actor, Rajeev Khandelwal speaks up about his film journey, as we gear up for a free willing chat.

Debuting in the industry with an unconventional ‘Aamir’ and then mesmerizing the masses with another stellar act in the gritty ‘Shaitan’, ‘Table No. 21′ seems to be your first commercial Hindi film. Are you excited?
For me, Aamir and Shaitan were very commercial films, but yes I haven’t ever tried doing a typical Hindi film throughout these years. Table No. 21 is one of those films which has all the key ingredients, all the sensibilities of being a good film and it should be released on a higher level.

What made Rajeev say yes to the film?
It was the concept, the story of the film which instantly got me hitched. When I read the script, I got goose bumps, and I was amazed with the way someone could really think and write a story like this. It is probably the way the story unfolds; the way the characters are defined and the way the story is narrated which makes it a very intriguing, interesting, edge of the seat thriller. But it is not a mindless thriller. And of course Paresh Rawal’s presence made it more reliable for me to jump in.

You previously hosted the ‘Sach Ka Saamna’ show on television and according to reports, ‘Table no. 21′ is more of a truth and dare game. Did you imbibe anything from the show?
There was nothing that I could take in with me when it came to playing this character because each character on Sach Ka Samna was different. What I could have imbibed was how to play the host because then I would have known what to do, how to enact in situations. Had I been a host, I could have borrowed characteristics. But here I was the contestant myself. There was nothing that I could pick up from my experience in Sach Ka Samna.

There are also quite a few intimate scenes shot between you and Tena in the film.
You know it’s just a couple of scenes but they are just being talked about. Nothing has been done to grab eyeballs; it was all a part of the script. We aren’t doing intimate scenes in the film out of nowhere. Once you see the film, you would find it relevant.

How was it working with Pareshji?
He gave a lot of strength though he doesn’t come up to you and teach you anything, but the more you observe him, you can draw strength from him, the way he acts and moves and beautifully makes each scene worth a watch. For me, I got a lot of reassurance I got from him and he is a great support system. He is not the one who will try and intimidate you; he will instead try and get you to a point where you deliver your best. He is always very concerned about the films in totality.

Table No. 21 Movie Poster

It’s a clutter gathering at the very beginning of the year, what with as many as five medium to small budget films clashing with each other. These are Table No. 21, Rajdhani Express, Dehraadun Diary, Meri Shadi Karao and Dekha Jo Pehli Baar. This is quite a high volume of films considering the fact that first week of a New Year usually doesn’t see many films hitting the screens. However, 2013 is an exception.

The only film which is carrying at least some decent potential to score at the box office is Table No. 21. It has been promoted to some extent, if not optimally. Most importantly though, the film is looking good with a promising subject. Also, the cast is made of people who can act (Paresh Rawal, Rajeev Khandelwal, Tena Desae) and with the film’s look being striking and lavish, there is a chance that it would at least catch up with good word of mouth.

Rajdhani Express is the launch-pad of Leander Paes but if this is the manner in which a sports star had to see an arrival in Bollywood, it could well be sending a wrong signal to others who were dreaming of making a start in the B-Town. The film has hardly seen any promotion coming its way and what has been shown so far hasn’t been much enticing either. Despite decent face value to it with Jimmy Sheirgill in there, there has been seemingly no urgency amongst the makers to bring the film to audience in a correct manner.

As for Dehraadun Diary, it boasts of a topical subject and seems like a good dramatic affair with Adhyayan Suman in lead. However, there has hardly been any promotion whatsoever due to which visibility has been poor. Ditto for Meri Shadi Karao which is the launch-pad of Daler Mehndi’s son Gurdeep Mehndi but is seeing a sudden arrival for itself. It’s tacky promos are not helping the cause either. This is something that Dekha Jo Pehli Baar doesn’t have to worry about though since its promo has not even been seen by any, leave aside being criticised.

Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder

Rajeev Khandelwal and Tena Desae in O Sajna Song in Table No. 21 Movie Stills

Table No.21 releases 4th January 2013.

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Table No. 21 is an extension of deep rooted character roles, sans any herogiri, coming from both Paresh Rawal and Rajeev Khandelwal. The movie uses the hit concept of reality shows which is Rajeev’s strong forte as he takes his role forward from ‘Sach Ka Saamna’. Paresh Rawal, an all season actor seems to playing yet another strong role which was Pran’s forte in the 70s. An Eros production, it has music by Gajendra Verma with Sachin Gupta chipping in one track.

Tena Desae and Rajeev Khandelwal in a still from Table No. 21 Movie

O Sajna – Table No. 21 Music Review

A gloomy number, O Sajna, starts with a beautiful English poetic piece. The slow track has been well delivered in the melodious vocals of Puja Thaker and the composer Gajendra Verma himself. Modulation in Puja’s voice aptly depicts the pain and agony of separation from her lover. Lyrics given by Aseem Ahmed Abbasee and Gajendra Verma are deep and intense which well connect with the subject. Gajendra ensures that the track is appealing and interesting by doing well in all departments, be it lyrics, composition or vocals. The track has a ‘remix version’ too which sees a turnaround by playing on high pitch, hence resulting in an original gloomy outing seeing a different spin for itself.

Mann Mera – Table No. 21 Music Review

Next track Mann Mera is a romantic number where lyricist Aseem Ahmed Abbasee portrays the chase of a lover and the joy of watching his beloved that brings comfort to him. The solo track which is Gajendra’s own composition has flavour of chorus used appropriately at varied points that makes it catchy. Overall an average track that still seeks listener’s attention, the track has a ‘remix version’ which starts with the beautiful play of the piano but soon ends up having only an added pace to it, hence turning out to be just about fine.

If You Lie You Die – Table No. 21 Music Review

For people who love Paresh Rawal’s dialogue delivery, there is a small gift in the track, If You Lie You Die which is written by Sheershak Anand and Jaspreet Jazz. It has one liners from ‘Do Raaste (1969)’ being interspersed a couple of times, hence enhancing the overall feel of the track and bringing it closer to its theme. The title track in the vocals of Neeraj Shridhar and Jaspreet Jazz rightly sketches the theme of the movie – a thriller, which also uses portions of rap in the number. The song also uses the famous verse ‘Kaal Kare So Aaj Kar’, but on the whole is still not so impressive and interesting.

The Last Word – Table No. 21 Music Review

Overall, the album is barely passable though and won’t be able to catch up and stand amongst some good chartbusters which are currently dominating people’s attention.

Tena Desae

From donning the role of a supermodel to India’s big ticket to Hollywood, Tena Desae had a journey full of ups and downs. But after a debacle in Yeh Faasley and a Hollywood stint with The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel in place, Tena Desae is back with a thriller as spine chilling as Table No. 21. The leggy model who made her presence felt during her Get Gorgeous days spoke volumes when we caught up with her for free willing chat.

Post your modeling assignments, you did a Bollywood film which was panned all over, but having landed up in Hollywood, what made you look back and take up Table 21?
Firstly I want to set all records straight. I am an Indian and I obviously like every other actress want to make a mark here first. Coming to the question, my first Hindi film was really a disaster of sorts. Though the entire unit of Yeh Faasley was positive about the film, critics thrashed the film. But Table No. 21 was a real good script, and that was the major reason that made me say yes to the film. It was a good setup, it has good producers and the cast is very apt for the certain script that it is. Plus, I am having a full meaty role. It is not that I am there just for the dance or the glamour, I am there right through from the start to the finish. So this was a complete package and hence a great opportunity for me.

You play Sia Agasthi in the film, which is basically themed on a game show. What more can you tell us about the film?
The story is basically about Rajeev Khandelwal’s character and my character who are basically in Fiji on a holiday and we meet this really interesting person Mr Khan, the character played by Paresh Rawalji who offers this game to us. I play someone who is slightly avaricious so I get very caught up with the game since the prize money is 21 crores. We get into the game expecting it to be just high adventure, fun and drills, but over a course in the game and the film, it basically turns our lives around completely. It is basically about the game and the changes it brings about in the personal lives and there is a lot more in the film than what was evident in the film’s trailers. But that is the suspense element. You will leave the film theater with a thought for sure.

There is a lot of similarity that the film shares with Imran Khan starrer ‘Luck’, which can be noticed from the trailers. What do you have to say to that?
Well, a lot of people have been asking me this. I haven’t seen the film so I don’t know but what I have heard about the film is that both the films just have one similarity and that is both are based on a game show.  There is not a slightest amount of similarity except that fact and it is altogether very different. This game is a like a game of truth and dare, in common parlance. It is not a game that exists but is specially designed for this movie and that is why this film is called Table No. 21. And unfortunately, the drawback of having a thriller is that you can really delve too much into details because then you would be giving away a chunk of the suspense. There are two really exciting and huge thriller elements that distinguish it from anything else.

Getting to share screen space with two unconventionally talented and gifted actors Rajeev and Pareshji in this film, what did you imbibe from these two stalwarts?
Every actor has a different style of emoting, you can’t really compare them with anyone else. Each one’s preparation methods and facial expressions are different, especially between a guy and a girl. But what I can say is that they kept me completely on my toes. Both of them are extremely spontaneous actors with wells of experience. So for them, it is obviously easier to have emotions on command, as opposed to me. I had to prepare myself almost for an hour before the shoot for all the high intensity scenes, and they were able to do it with more ease. But all it made me do was to make me realize that I have a long way to go till the day I have emotions on call as they do. That will come only with time and experience. So when you see two people doing that so easily, you also tend to speed up the entire process and do it faster than what is normally possible. But there’s no way you can compare yourself with them. Having said that, I would also say that Rajeev and Pareshji were two reasons for me signing the script because I believe that when you are in company of good actors, your performance comes enriched, as acting is always about reacting!

There were scenes where you sported a bikini and you did some intimate scenes too. Your take on that.
I have already done the shoot for the Kingfisher Calendar so the bikini isn’t really a big deal for me. But then, this film starts off on a light note where both of us are holidaying in Fiji, we are on our second honeymoon. That is all that was there really and nothing more than that. And the kissing scene is anything, but intimate. It is actually part of the game and it happens in the middle of a street in Cuba where almost two-three thousand people had collected and they were watching us. It was really very difficult for me to do because I hate doing kissing scenes. It really makes me feel uncomfortable. Nevertheless, I believe if you have to do it, its better to do it convincingly rather than making it look sloppy, which hopefully I have succeeded in doing.